Seal for seal-locks.



4Patented Mar. n, |902.

No. 695,4I8.

.|.`w. STEVENS. SEAL FQB SEAL LOCKS.

(Application led May 22, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

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M.n.% mr WJ W Patented Mar. Il, |902;

J. w. STEVENS. SEAL Fun SEAL Locks.

(Application. med my es, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Shes! (Ilo Mas-del.)l

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Mir/M@ UNTTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE- .IOIIN VALTER STEVEN-S, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. r

SEAL FOR- SEAL-LOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,418, dated March 11, 1902.

Application led May 22, 1900. Serial No.l 17,615. (No model.)

To ir/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN WALTER STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the-county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breakable Seal- Plates for Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seal-locks; and it consists in the construction of a breakable seal-plate to be used in connection with seallocks, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed ont in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a perspective View of one of the breakable seal-plates from the face side,"and Fig. 2 is a similar view from the reverse side. Figs. 3 and et are Views similar to Fig. 2, illustrating modifications in the structure. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective Views of the sealplate, illustrating the manner of actuating it.

Prior to the designing of the present seal but limited success only Was attained in the use of articles of this sort for the purpose for which they are designed-namely, the ealing of car-locks in such Way that the seal is broken upon the occurrence of any-tampering with the lock to such extent astoenable the door to be opened. As is Well' known, the

freight-cars of the railway systems of theV United States are constantly beingtransferred.

from one system to another under the' rules permitting such cars not only to be thus transferred, but to be used for return loading by the system upon Whose tracks itwas last previously unloaded. Again, it is Well known that the different railway systems vary with respect to the' relative arrangement of the doors, locks, and'doorways, insomecases the doors being arranged to move to the right in opening and in others to the left, this requiring that the locks shall be correspondingly variously placed. In consequence of this most seals of the present class have not been very successful, because ofthe fact that they were applicable for use only with locks of one or the other of the tWo sorts referred to.

One of the principal purposesof the present invention is to provide a4 seal which can be interchangeably lused Withfreight-car locks of any of the ordinary makes and arranged either on the right or the leftof the door.

Another important object is to form the seal in such Way that it shall be uniformly thick'throughoutfrom face t-o face.

Heretofore the 4proposal liasbeen to employ face projections asy the means for engaging with the seal-retainer. On the contrary, in the present case, the seal vbeing formed as a flat plate, the' retaining element consists of a series ofv indentations inthe side edgesextendingentirely throughthe seal from one broad face" to the other, thus forming the equivalent of a series of two or more teeth. As these recesses are similar, there is assurance provided by having such series that in case of breakage or marring of either of the teeth the seal will nevertheless engage propv these being parallel to each other throughout, f

the seal being, as aforesaid, uniformly thick from edge to edge. In each of two of its-opposite edges, as at a2 a3, it is formed with a series of recesses b, providing a corresponding series of teeth b'. The two series of recesses and teeth are in the same relative positions on the longitudinal lines of the seal,

and consequently it can engage With-a retaining-wheel B, such as shown in Fig. 5, on the right-hand side or with a similar retaining- Wheel on the left-hand side, as shown in Fig. 6.

It is unnecessary herein to illustrate or describe in det-ail all of the, parts ofthe lock with The seal-plate will preferably be 'provided Y with weakening channels or cavities d, as shown, to provide means forinsuringthe fracture of the plate When afsuflicient .pres- IOG sure is brought to bear against it. This channel or recess may be in any required form or at any required point in the plate, but will preferably be in the rear face of the plate, as shown. These channels or recesses may be in any required shape, either in the form of a straight channel open at the ends, as in Figs. l and 2, a straight channel closed at the ends, as in Fig. 3,01* in the form of a series of holes or cavities, as in Fig. 4f, or in any other desired shape which will weaken the plate to render its fracture more certain. By reason of the presence 0f the weakening channels or recesses the plate will yield and break under a much less pressure than the plate without the weakening-channels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters "Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a sealplate consisting of a plate of fragile material having on each of two opposite edges a series of alternating indentations and teeth having reversely angular sides, and adapted to cngage with a movable retaining device having correspondingly alternately disposed angular teeth and indcntations, whereby it is adap ted to engage with a retaining device at either edge, substantially as set forth.

As a new article of manufacture a scalplate consisting of a flat plate of uniform thickness throughout and having a series of alternating indentations and teeth having reversely angular sides at its edge, each extending entirely through from the front to the back face, and each indentation of the series being a counterpart of the other whereby the engagement of the seal with the retaining device by one or another of the said serrations or teeth is insured, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand -in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

JOHN \VALTER STEVENS.

In presence of HELEN G. Corr'roN, (il. N. WoomvAi-u). 

